Leonard g



(No Model.) l

L. G. KIRK.

AUTOMATIC AIR VALVE FOR STEAM RADIATORS. No. 605,315.l Patented June7,1898.

/N VEN TUI? NrTnD` STATES PATENT u OFFICE.

LEONARD G. KIRK, oF NEW YORK, Nj Y.

AUTOMATIC Al R-VALVE FO R STEAM -RADIATO RS.

SPECIFICATIQN formingpart of Lettesratent No. 605,315, dated June 7,1898. Application led January 15, 1868. Serial No. 666,782; (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LEONARD G. KIRK, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, (borough of M anhattam) in the State of NewYork,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticAirfValves4 for Stea1n-Radiators, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an air-valve for steam-radiators; and theobject of the invention is to improve the action of the valve in such amanner as that it will automatically close the air-outlet as soon as theair has escaped, so that water will not squirt out, as heretofore, indevices of this class. i

The invention consists .ofabase-piece, a casing mounted on the.base-piece and provided with an air-outlet at its upper end, and afloat arranged in the casing above a deflector near the top of the`base-piece to obstruct the `direct striking of air and steam which passthrough the inlet-passage of the said base-piece against said float,said lioat being provided with a needle-valve for closing the air-outletof the casing automatically, when the Water from the radiator passes inthrough the base-.piece and acts on said float, as will be hereinafterdescribed and then particularly'claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of asteam-radiator with my improved air-valve attached. Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical central section, partly in elevation, of theair-valve. verse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is across-section on line 1t 4 ot' Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the radiator, of any approvedform, to which my improved automatic air-valve is attached, as usual.

My device comprises a base-piece orvshoe.

of said base-piece belowan internallyscrew-` threaded iange b2 thereon.

Fig. 3 is a trans- AAt the upper part of the inlet-passage ban:auxiliary deiector C extends above the cham- Eberv b', ov'er whichchamber is arranged a 'communicating port or opening d, whichestablishes communication by means of intermediate passage'dg'communica'ting with the chamber b', with the interior of thesheetmetal or other suitable casing E, which at its lower end is screwedinto the screw-threaded flange b2. Adjacent .to the port d and extendingdownwardly toward the auxiliary deiiector C is a lip C2, while a shortlip C3 also extends upwardly from the said deector O.

At the upper end of the casing E is a neck E, as usual, into which isscrewed van inter- `nally-screw-threaded'`plug F, which is provided witha duct f. Onto the extension E/ is fitted, as usual, a cap F',which isprovided with suitable orifices.

.Arranged within thecasing E is a cylindrical iioat G, which carries onits fiat top an upwardly-projecting needlevalve g, vwhile arrangedwithin the lower open end of said float is a'diametrical cross-piece g',which at its mid-length is adapted to rest upon an upwardly-proj ectin gand centrally-arranged pin or abutment g2, extending from the deiectoror diaphragm C. `The shape ofthe Iioat permits an equilibrium ofpressure on both sides 4of the flat top. The point of rest of the oat Gis so determined as that the needle-valve g hasbut a slight distance tomove in order to move against the valve-seat f and-close the duct f. Theiioat Gis guided in its rising and falling movements by means of curvedbaffles h h', `which extendinwardly from about the mid-length of theinner Wall of the casing E, the inner edges of said baflies conformingsubstantially to the curvature of the cylindrical float G. One of thebaffles` namely, h`is arranged directly above the curved port d, so'thatthe'air or steam cannot pass directly upwardly andV out through theairloutlet, but the air is caused to assume 1 a circuitous or serpentineroute.

The operation of my improved air-valve is as follows: .Vhen the valvesof the radiator are opened so as to permit the steam to enter, the airin the radiator has to be forced out through the duct f. l. The air willthenpass through the inlet-passage b of the base-piece B into thechamber b', out through the port IOO cl, upwardly between the float Gand the casing E, and through the duct f to the outer air, the cap Fbeing of course raised. While the air is passing out, it is prevented,by means of the deilector C, the auxiliary deiiector C', andlips C2 andC3, from acting on the fioat G, so as to raise the saine and therebyprevent the escape of the air through the air-duct f. When the trappedwater rises `in the casing E, it will rise correspondingly in the floatG, the bottom of this float being open and admitting the water, asstated, until a sufficient height is reached, when the water will floatthe float G, so as to cause the needle-valve g to pass into and againstthe valve-seat f', thereby closing the valve and preventing the escapeof water from the same. When the water recedes and falls back into theradiator A, Fig. 1, as usual, the ioat .G will then be released and dropdown into place, and in so doing leave the air-passage f free and open,and the oat G will continue to rise and fall, as described, until allthe air isout of the radiator, whereupon the steam will enter theradiator, as usual, pass thence to and in casing E, heat the float G,and cause the same to expand and move upward against valve-seat f', thusclosing the valve and preventing the escape of steam from same,whichcondition will remain so long as steam is in contact with the float G,keeping same eX- panded and the outlet of the valve closed.

The lioat may be composed of hard rubber or vulcanite; but I do notlimit myself to this material, as some other materials may be foundsuitable for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In an automatic air-valve for steam-radiators, thecombination with a` base-piece provided with suitable passages, adeiiector at the upper part of the base-piece, an opening at one side ofthe deflector, an auxiliary deiector in said passages arranged belowsaid opening, and a casing mounted on the base-piece above the deflectorand provided at its upper end with an air-duct, of a float arrangedwithin the casing above the said deiector, to one side of said openingand provided with a needle-val-ve at its upper end adapted to close saidair-duct, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic air-valve for steam-radiators, the combination with abase-piece, provided with suitable passages, a defiector arranged in ahorizontal plane at the upper part of the base-piece, said deflectorhaving an opening at one side and provided adjacent to said opening withan upwardly-projecting lip, and a casing supported on said base-pieceabove said delector and provided at its upper end with an air-duct, of afloat arranged within the casing above said deflector and to one side ofsaid lip and being provided with a needle-valve adapted to close saidair-duct, substantially as set forth.

3. In an automatic air-valve for steam-radiators, the combination with abase-piece, provided with passages through the same, a casing arrangedon the base-piece, and provided with an air-duct at its upper end, andbaffle-plates projecting inwardly from the inner surface of said casing,of -a float arranged in said casing and guided by said baffie-plates inits up-and-down motion, said Iioat being provided with a needle-valveadapted to close said air-duct, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONARD G. KIRK.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. JAEKEL, CARL KOELBLY.

